Art

January 11, 2002|By MARK ST. JOHN ERICKSON Daily Press

When Japanese woodblock prints first came West in the mid-1800s, they assumed remarkably humble guises. Many arrived as packing material stuffed into shipping crates. Others showed up as wrapping paper in Parisian department stores. It didn't take long, however, before such keen-eyed admirers as French artist Edouard Manet began rescuing them from the trash. Today, the finest examples can fetch tens of thousands of dollars. More than 30 such works will go on view Saturday, when "The Actor's Image: The Japan-Virginia Society Collection of Ukioy-e Prints" opens at the Peninsula Fine Arts Center in Newport News. Focusing on scenes from the famous Kabuki theater, the show provides a lively look at 19th- century Japanese life and culture. For more info, visit the center's Web site at www.pfac- va.org or call 596- 1875.